Denise Dangelo wrote, “Thank you for writing about the passing of Jolene Combs. I have very fond memories of being her student at RUHS. … As a teacher I find that I infuse quite a bit of the writing rules/conventions she taught me over the years into my own writing lessons. I know my fifth grade students learn through me, because of Mrs. Combs.

“Jolene loved life and the written word and she will continue to live on through her family, friends, colleagues, and former students. However, her presence will forever be greatly missed.”

Attorney and El Camino College instructor Mike Botello had this to say about his colleague: “Thanks for the kind words about Jolene. She devoted so much of herself to her students. And all the students who wrote or read the school paper gained so much because of her efforts.”

Lori Medigovich, who taught journalism with Combs for two decades, wrote, “Thank you for such a wonderful column about Jolene. You captured the essence of the woman and the essence of her desire to serve. You should know, though, that Jolene loved you and your columns. … When advising our newspaper staff on how to write columns, she always told them to read `Bogert’s columns if you want to know how it’s done!’ She read you regularly and often clipped and photocopied some particularly well-written or meaningful column to share with the students.

“Her loss is a huge one on a personal as well as a professional level. She taught me all I know about journalism education and advising publications and was a dear, dear friend. I feel honored to have learned from one of the best. I sincerely thank you for a beautiful column.”

Matthew Zimmerman offered this: “Thank you for a nice tribute to an icon of her field.”

Robert Murray wrote, “I was a student of Jolene Combs back in 1994 and 1995. Although I now live in Ohio, I read your column about her online and wanted to thank you for remembering her so fondly and to let you know that the things you wrote about her are the same things her former students know only too well.

“It was a shock to hear the news that she had passed away. … I think we were all certain that she would live to be 90 and, even then, would still be blessing us with her wit and wisdom.

“She never took credit for anything but she deserves so much credit for making so many of us not just better writers and editors, but better people too. … By the way, no one knows for sure who started calling her JC, but we all agree, just like another more famous JC, the woman walked on water.”

Teya Vitu e-mailed, “I was part of Jolene’s inaugural class at El Camino in 1983 and also part of Bill Kamrath’s last class. My daily journalism career took me to the Union Democrat in Sonora, the Desert Dispatch in Barstow, the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, and to the Tucson Citizen. … Jolene played a pivotal role in my time at El Camino… pushing me to Cal, where I graduated in 2007… I still have some of her comments. In one she wrote, `I’m only hard on the students I care the most about, and no matter what you tell me about things you can’t do, I’ll tell you that you’re wrong! We’re going to get you to a future which is challenging and ambitious, whether you believe it or not.”

I received dozens of comments on the late teacher, but it is the above note, one of thousands she wrote during a long career, that pretty much tells us everything we need to know about her.

On the demise of Borders Books, Bev Mulligan wrote, “I have had a lifetime love affair with books. … Here is my concern: I see the possibility of subtle censorship. Who decides which books are made available in an `e’ format? I know that market demand has some effect on what is offered in bookstores or online, but it may also radically limit our choices.

“I looked up one of my favorite authors and only some of her books are available online. Where are the others? Who has made this decision? How would I even know she has written more books? I don’t think I am seeing Big Brother in everything, but I think this could be a problem.”

I agree, more or less. But here is my concern borrowed, more or less, from a crate full of dark, futurist books: Who needs to burn or ban when there is a delete key?

Craig South wrote, “I sent a friend … the following gag: As you know, newspapers are dying off. But when all the papers are gone, folks will have to wrap their fish in laptops.”

Funny. But while we keep repeating that newspapers-are-dying line, 48.3 million Americans continue subscribing to daily newspapers.

This email came from Dolores Chandler: “I have read books since I was old enough to read – that’s about 77 years. I doubt I will ever use an electronic reader, not because I do not understand computers but because books are really better. I like the tactile feeling of them and like being able to reread and loan them to friends. I will never give up reading books!”

And this from Todd Clamers of Redondo Beach: “I found out what Borders means by `up to 40 percent off.’ It means that buying books during their closing weeks can mean paying more than when buying at their normal discount prices. Still, I will miss the place.”

Then there is the entirely worthy Cheer for Children – the local, no-salaries, all-volunteer nonprofit charity – which is badly in need of backpacks and all manner of back-to-school supplies for underprivileged South Bay children.

Collection boxes are in place for the month of August at the Redondo Beach Fire Department and Chamber of Commerce (200 N. PCH). For more information, or to find out where to send a certain-to-be-appreciated donation, visit www.cheerforchildren.net or call 310-540-2494. Tell the nice lady who answers that I sent you.